Joshua

LeRoy Eims

Joshua had been a personal attendant of Moses throughout the forty years of wandering in the wilderness. He had led the fight against Amalek shortly after the exodus from Egypt. He was with Moses on Mount Sinai. He was one of the twelve spies sent into the land of Canaan. He, along with Caleb, brought back a good report.

Now that the work of Moses is completed, it is necessary that the people have another leader. The mantle of Moses was laid upon Joshua. It required a man of courage, faith, consecration, humility and efficient leadership. Joshua was God's appointed man for the task.

When the people crossed the Jordan, the die was cast. There was no way to go but forward, down a path of battle and hardship. They were to earn their inheritance. The supremely important fact was that they were under Divine orders, under the leadership of God with Joshua as His representative.

The great essential was faith in God. Their first encounter with the enemy was the battle of Jericho and it was to be won by Divine action of a miraculous nature. The fall of Jericho could have been brought about in any number of ways, but at the outset it was important to stimulate and deepen their faith.

At Ai they were to learn another great lesson. Covetousness got the better of Achan when he violated the law of God with regard to the spoils of Jericho. When Israel was defeated they were seized with consternation and dread. Had God, who had shaken Jericho to its destruction, now forsaken them?

The answer was soon evident. There was sin in the camp. When the facts were made known and Israel obeyed by using the drastic measures set forth in the punishment for this sin, the Lord was with them and they were victorious. Thus two great lessons were learned at the beginning: faith and obedience.

In later battles they would see that God was not limited in the resources He could bring to bear to help His children to victory. They had witnessed His miraculous power many times in Egypt and in the wilderness. But when the sun and moon stood still, I'm sure it stirred them to the depths of faith and struck terror in the hearts of the worshippers of the sun and moon.

There are four primary reasons why God chose Palestine as the land of promise. One is its isolation. On the west was the sea; on the south and east were deserts; and to the north were the mountains. Israel was to live isolated from the idolatrous world of the time.

Second is its centrality. Although it was isolated, it was central to the great nations of that day. It was half‑way between the western and eastern limits of the ancient world, and mid‑way between the two great continents of Asia and Africa. It belonged to neither, but provided communication between both.

The third reason for this location is its limitations. It was small and could foster no great political ambitions, such as Rome, nor could it foster intellectual distinctions such as Greece. It was the training ground for a people who were destined to have a tremendous religious influence in the world. Fourth is its natural bounty. Its soil was capable of supplying the needs of its people; a land flowing with milk and honey.

A nation was born by which God's gracious promises were to be fulfilled and through which He was to reveal Himself to the world. "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." (John 1:17)